Wilmington Boricua Fest 2015

Really hoping that I could road trip out to this!  Maybe if I had found out about this sooner.  I would like to check it out for myself.  I missed the last event cause my ride did me dirty.  I'll eventually make it out to one of their events.

Boricua Fest
October 4, 2015
Wilmington, DE
12pm to 8pm

Books & Breakin' in the South Bronx

Just found out about this earlier this week.  Obviously, I need to check certain email inboxes more often, or cut down on the number of email addresses that I have...

This will be going on in the Bronx, NY.  The event will run from 3:30pm to 5pm on the corner of 163rd Street and Simpson Street.  I believe that the best way to get there is on the 2/5 train to Simpson Street.  The event is being presented by Total Equity Now Harlem, and Casista Mamita Center for Arts & Education.  It is FREE and open to the public.

Hope to see you there!  Help to spread the word!!!

Upcoming Latino Heritaeg Month Events.....

Just found out about some of these events.  One is local, while the other is out of state from me.  Thought that you guys would appreciate this information, though....

This event is being organized by the Malik Fraternity, and will be held this coming Saturday, October 3rd.  It will be held here in NYC at the Schomburg Center, in the American Negro Theater.  They will be featuring Felipe Luciano, who has just recently published a new book.


And also....

For any of my peoples that are located in the state of Ohio, SolCon: The Brown + Black Comix Expo will be held from Friday, October 2nd to Sunday, October 4th.  For those of us that are heavily into comic book (myself included), here is a comic book event dedicated to comic book creators of color.  It will be held in OSU's campus at Columbus, Ohio, and is FREE and open to the public.

Continuing to celebrate Latino Heritage Month!  I may not be holding my own event(s), but that doesn't mean I can't help other to promote theirs!  Help to spread the word!  :)

AFTERMATH: Big Literary Weekend

It too me a while ot get around to writing this.  This is actually quite a positive post.

I had a really good weekend, this past weekend that just passed from the 18th to the 20th.  I was able to hook up with some literary contacts that I had, and involve myself in some activities that were going on around here.  Considering the string of bad luck and misery that I'd been going through lately, I would say that this good fortune was much deserved.

I was able to hook up (at the last minute) with my peoples at the Caribbean Cultural Theatre, an organization that focuses primarily on Caribbean-American and Caribbean authors/poets based in the United States.  I know the founder/organizer personally, and we have been in contact with each other for a few years now (primarily through the internet).  When I finally moved back home, was when we finally got the chance to meet each other in person.  Anyway....I knew ahead of time that they were supposed to be having a "bookend" event on Friday, the 18th; a literary event leading up top the Brooklyn Book Festival on Sunday, the 20th.  I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to attend either event due to my serious lack of funds.  That's when the brother offered me the opportunity to work as a volunteer at his event.  (It helped that he offered to compensate me for my services).

Of course...I jumped at the chance to help.

I basically worked as a "gofer" for his event on Friday (go for this...go for that, lol, lol).  I actually had a lot of fun, when I wasn't running around like a mad man.  I got to enjoy the program, and not have to pay to attend.  it reminded me of back when I used to volunteer for some Black film festivals in NYC in my younger days.  It also helped that i knew a few of the authors that were there participating in the event.

The big one was on Sunday, the Brooklyn Book Festival.  I helped to man the booth for the Caribbean Cultural Theatre, which was shared by two other organizations representing Caribbean authors; Read Jamaica (obviously based out of Jamaica), and Caribbean Reads (based in St. Kitts/Nevis).  I had a lot of fun, and really enjoyed interacting with the attendees in the crowd.  We signed up a good number of people to the CCT Mailing List, as well as selling a number of books by the associated authors.  I even snuck a few of my own titles in there, and sold a copy.  ;)

So, the weekend ended very well for me.  My spirits have been renewed, and being that the Autumnal Equinox has just passed, a renewed sense of purpose has filled my being.  I hope that this bodes well for my future plans at relocation as well.  I am now refocused, and charging ahead.   

Until next time...

Literacy Across Harlem March, Book Drive, & Community Celebration!!!

I'm hoping to make it out to this event up in Harlem.  It's on this coming Saturday, September 19th.  I've already been sharing it on FB and Twitter.  It's being organized by a great organization called Total Equity Now, based in Harlem.  To find out more about the organization and their upcoming event, please go to their website for more information.

www.totalequitynowharlem.org

Literacy Across Harlem March, Book Drive, & Community Celebration
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Harlem, NY
12pm to 3pm

Please come out and support, and help to spread the word!!!!

The Road Trip That Wasn't

This is going to be a little bit of a rant session....

So, I was supposed to go on a road trip out of town this past weekend to a Latino cultural event in Wilmington, Delaware.  I'd found out about the event about two months ago, sometime in mid-July, and told my "friend" about it.  We're pretty much unofficial partners, though I end up doing most (actually all) of the work, and research.  He was supposed to be my ride to the event, considering that I don't drive, nor own a car.

He left for a trip out of the country last month for three weeks, and then returned.  You'd think that all was good, and straight, right?  He comes back acting all brand new, and acting like he doesn't know how to answer his fucking phone.  I tried to chase him down for the last two weeks to confirm shit (among other matters, that I wanted to deal with him about), and it took me forever to get into contact with him.  Firstly, he gets the fucking day wrong, considering that I'd sent him a shit load of information about the damn thing (flyers, the application, my email correspondence with the festival organizer).  Then, he starts to cop pleads about, "Oh...I don't know if Ima be able to make it...", and other bullshit like that, like I just sprung this on him the other day.  Considering that he's been acting like a bitch since I told him about my plans to relocate, this really irritated me.  If this was a last minute thing, I would understand; I told this nigga about this shit damn near two fucking months ago!!!  He's claiming to be working a lot at his job; nigga...you's a cab driver!  Don't act as if you can't talk and drive at the same fucking time!

This is the reason why I want to leave so bad.  Cats be mad unreliable, and selfish about shit.  Everybody wants to benefit from what they can get from me, and not do shit in return.  The trip was also supposed to be a fact finding/research mission for me as far as relocating is concerned.  It was also supposed to be an opportunity for me to network with some people and/or organizations out there.  He fucked up that opportunity for me, and it wasn't the first time.  There was another event out there that I'd wanted to get out to, but again, he shitted on me by not answering his fucking phone.

If I had the money to travel, I would just go down there myself, instead of having to rely on others.  It's really starting to get to a point where I just need to look out for myself, and not worry about trying to help and carry others, as other author friends of mine have told me.  I know that that's not really in my nature, especially as an activist, but if I want to progress in my writing career, I need to be on that "self" tip.  Nobody is going to help me to progress in my career, and sell my books, but ME.  Not to mention, I'm sick of bending over backwards to help people, and not getting shit in return when I need that same support and assistance.

I'm now more determined that ever to move the fuck away from this bullshit ass city.  I'm tired of the wack ass people out here, and the lack of support.  I'm just going to continue to plan my escape from this shithole, and get the hell out of here once the opportunity presents itself.  I've had enough...

Currently Progressing.....

So, I've written SIX books in FIVE years time.  Not bad at all, wouldn't you say?  I'm currently working on books #7, 8, and 9.  I'm also conceptualizing books #10, 11, and 12 (really, I'm considering writing literary adaptations to some screenplays that I've written).  If I continue on the pace that I'm on, I might have #7 published by the end of this year.  Don't know if it's worth it to do that, or wait until early next year to publish it....

Still trying to relocate out of state. I've been doing a lot of online research on my relocation, finding out more about the new city that I want to move to.  I've been looking into jobs, and organizations that are out there, and options to focus on my Universal Africana Literary Arts Movement project;  I think that it would be a better outlet to explore, than focusing on The Consortium of Afro Latino Communities.  I never seem to garner the support that I feel that I deserve pushing that particular project, so I'm putting it on the back burner for now....

I'm hoping to do some traveling this fall, but that's kinda sketchy.  I would need money to travel, which I don't have right now.  I don't currently have a day job, which I really don't want to get one, but I need to have some sort of income.  The book sales aren't going the way I want them too AT ALL, so I need an alternative means to subsist.  I hate being in "starving artist" mode; people know that your shit exists, but don't really want to financially support you.  I know that freedom ain't free, but come the fuck on, people!  I'm sick and tired of wasting my time, talent, and intelligence for someone else's benefit at a regular day job.  But, without that support, I can't survive.

I'm definitely trying to focus my attention more OUTSIDE of New York.  Shit hasn't worked out for me here, so it's time for me to say adios carajo.  This year+ has been a bit of a waste of time, so it's time to search out new horizons.  I'm still working on promoting my literary works via email and social media, whatever the hell that's been worth.  I get "likes" and "favorites", but everyday when I log onto my publishers' website to check my sales, I haven't move not one damn unit; paperback OR ebook.  I need to find a way to target potential readers overseas, cause apparently, niggas here in America DON'T read (and some are even PROUD that they don't read).  Not much of a way to make a living, is it?

I'll keep you all updated on my progress.  I'm hoping to make it out to this Latino cultural event in a few weeks.  At least it will get me the hell out of NYC for a few hours.  Here's to hoping that my books will get me to travel.

Uhuru sase, y paz